Phil Mickelson, Jim 'Bones' Mackay announce split after 25 years

One of the longest-running player-caddie relationships in golf history has come to a close. Phil Mickelson and Jim “Bones” Mackay, joined at the hip for a quarter-century, have decided to go their separate ways.

“After 25 very rewarding and memorable years, Bones and I have mutually decided to end our player-caddie relationship,” Mickelson said in a statement. “Our decision is not based on a single incident. We just feel it’s the right time for a change.”

“When Phil hired me in 1992, I had one dream: to caddie in a Ryder Cup,” Mackay said in his own statement. “Last year, at Hazeltine, Phil played in his 11th straight Ryder Cup. It was so cool to have a front row seat.”

Mickelson’s brother Tim will serve as Phil’s caddie for the remainder of the season, including the next two majors.

Bones carried the bag as Mickelson won five majors and dozens of tournaments. Most recently, Bones scouted the intricacies of Erin Hills even though Phil was half a country away at his daughter’s graduation.

One of the many quirks of the Mickelson-Bones relationship was the “veto,” the once-a-year opportunity Bones had to overrule Phil. Both referenced the veto in their parting statements, both with good humor.

“Bones has not used his veto this year, and I heard a rumor that he is trying to pass his veto to Tim,” Mickelson said. “For the record, vetoes are non-transferable.” ____Jay Busbee is a writer for Yahoo Sports and the author of EARNHARDT NATION, on sale now at Amazon or wherever books are sold. Contact him at jay.busbee@yahoo.com or find him on Twitter or on Facebook.